


Beginning of Our Journey

by Ncie0h43nnbfej2



Category: HEARTBEAT (Video Game)
Genre: Arguing, F/F, First Meetings, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ncie0h43nnbfej2/pseuds/Ncie0h43nnbfej2
Summary: A take on how Eve Xin and Nyx Ronove met for the very first time.
Relationships: Nyx Ronove/Eve Xin
Kudos: 8





	Beginning of Our Journey

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written as a gift for Nehc!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this fanfic - imagining an episode like this was difficult, but rewarding.  
> This is my interpretation.
> 
> May contain mentions of war and such.

Our predecessors dropped their weapons that fateful day. The ancestors fought because of distrust and pride.

The noise their weapons made hitting the ground, the whistle of their relief’s exhale, the whispers of sand, snow and grass as their knees, their backs rested in them finally - all the while their hearts were beating, their cores were still resonating within… That became the song of peace that echoed over Solum, the voices united once. 

The war machines powered down. The soldiers rested. Those left behind slept calmly. Solum’s energy was flowing peacefully.

The fanfare to the beginning of our lives as we stepped into adulthood, the horrors of violence already imprinted into our minds.

We were all ready to accept it, but in such different ways. Our first days were like a clash, a realization. We were two amongst many of those brought up by tragedy. People of war, of people of peace? We’d live long enough to realize that it all didn’t quite matter in the end. We’d live to see horrors repeat.

And back then, each one had their own way out. Sometimes I wondered if I ever was worthy of your time. Were you my way out?

How they could leave your final place in such condition is beyond me. But I understand. And you would, too. You made peace with everything in your life - at least it always seemed so. It may be selfish, but I hoped that you missed me.

I cleaned everything up and gathered some flowers. I promise I’ll come over tomorrow, again, and plant some. So they’ll last. Perhaps I should call your granddaughter to come along, too. She seems fascinated with your legacy, but knows so little.

It was a long, long time ago. But my memories still remain, even if rather fractured.

In a mixed settlement, a new ambitious village ran both by humans and Mogwai, many were finally at peace - not without occasional quarrel, but they didn’t hate. They knew, they understood. Yet not all living on Solum shared the same happy ending. War had cut me down.

I was just a recent addition, someone from a bad batch, one of those who didn’t know what to do. How was I supposed to know? They picked me up, put me in there and expected me to live on happily.

I wish I could remember the name of that place, to visit it one day. It was in a beautiful valley with a hill overlooking it, small rocky mountains in the distance. Was that it? I cannot tell now. So much time had passed, and so much of it in great pain. All I could ever focus on in my memories were seconds, hours, days spent with you. You.

You were at the local market that day, just as I was. Your face was decorated with a smile I first judged to be pretense. I was frowning, looking down, simply throwing glances and hiding away if my eyes were met with others’. You were looking to buy a meal for yourself to carry on with your journey, I was begging for others to let me live another day. Perhaps, you’d come to me eventually that day, on your own, but I made the first move. It was a mistake, but one that changed my life.

I wonder if it changed yours.

I looked at you and saw your face again, and thought that you looked fine. I shot another glance, and thought it was all false. On the third look, I realized that you were wearing the attire of those responsible. Shining white fabric - a long coat, worn with pride. A bright green star shining on your beret. You were even carrying a weapon. And then, I stopped caring. I was going to punish you. My rage could not be contained anymore - I was even ready to accept death in the violent release of this anger, the amount of stress that would certainly deliver the final blow. Make my body go numb, make my core fade, and let me wither away. You’d have to live with death of another innocent on your bloodied hands, so I thought.

How truly sad, you know, to think about it now.

As you were almost done with your purchase - a smiley exchange, so sweet it’d rot your teeth to the roots, so considerate to even forgive the tricky market merchant a coin or two - I walked over and put my hand on your shoulder, leaving a dusty stain on it right away. Just the sight of its bright white fabric was enough to make my heart race.

“Is something the matter, are you alright?” you asked me, you seemed genuinely worried, but also distressed. I liked your fear.

“Y-y-you killer. It’s-it-it’s finally all over, ye-yet you’d w-w-wear this to mo-m… mock us? K-k-killer. Mur-mur-m… murd…” it felt like I had become even worse. Or perhaps I was too worried to confront you with all of my might and confidence, which I thought I had? I felt the whole market stare at me, like I was mad. Perhaps I was. I suddenly felt violated, but decided to blame you for it.

“You’re shaking…” you said, looking at me. I thought you were looking down on me. I thought you were mocking me for the terror the sight of you had put in me. I wanted to disappear, but I also wanted you to follow.

“Killer… di-disgusting human f-f-filth…” I clenched my teeth, almost biting my tongue. I felt tears cover my eyes - everything was blurry, I couldn’t even see you all that well. I took a deep breath. “Murderer!”

It was at that time you finally realized, perhaps, what I had been accusing you of. Tears finally rolled out of my eyes and I saw your face again - troubled, sincere. You put your hand on mine, and took it off your shoulder - you weren’t afraid of the dirt staining it.

At that time, I heard the village’s guards somewhere behind. They had been aching to find me causing trouble, I knew that. They wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of an element as malignant as I was - I contributed to nothing, I could only rot away and hate.

You looked me in the eyes, tightening the grip on my hand. And I almost heard it in my head - follow me, follow me! And I did. Protesting, or trying to - I couldn’t even squeeze a word out. We ran. 

That time was the last time I had been a coward. I promised myself. But the mistakes I avoided were made by others in my stead.

Eve kept running, from place to place, from little alley to another, until the commotion was left behind, and the two of them remained behind the many houses of the village. To avoid others finding them in one spot, Nyx kept walking. So did Eve, following her. A little odd, maybe even awkward, but she didn’t want to let her go without their quarrel settled.

“W-w-why are you f-following me…”

“You came to me first. And…” Eve took a deep breath, getting her thoughts together, “you are wrong about me. I want to tell you about it all.”

Nyx looked back, eyes wide open, and blinked. She still couldn’t let the thought go. The things that were happening didn’t make sense to it, but she chose to ignore it, hoping to indulge in the built-up rage. Perhaps still hoping it’d surely end her suffering.

“About w-w-w-hat, you b-b-being a dirty killer?”

“Please!” Xin looked almost upset at that point. Discouraged even, but she still kept walking right behind Nyx. “Please, just listen to me, it’s not what you thought… I’m sorry I made you feel this way, but I need to tell you about this, the honour of…”

“Sh-sh-shut up, you’ll wake up the d-d-dogs…”

The wisp beggar made a sharp turn into a darker alleyway. It seemed as if quite a number of items had been abandoned there over time - rugs, boxes, old oil lamps… Nyx sat atop one of the rugs, groaning and almost growling with anger. She didn’t know why, but felt like she could actually voice her concerns to the rude human. Perhaps it was wise to do so in silence. But she wasn’t giving up.

“Is this… your home?” Eve asked, sitting down on an old wooden crate lid nearby. She looked around again, and even spotted a small bunch of puppies sleeping behind a big box, in the shadow, hidden.

“W-w-what do you think, idiot,” Nyx had her way with words, finally calm, but still wiping her eyes.

“I’m sorry, but don’t call me that. I didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry I made you cry, though…”

“I didn’t. You’re m-m-making things up, as well as ex-ex… exc-c-cuses for dressing like that.”

Eve calmly put her staff on her own lap. She looked down at it. Firm stick with two golden ends, one of which had a star on it, too. It seemed more like a relic than a weapon. Some humans did manage to channel their magical powers through items, so perhaps this one had been used to help its past owners wield their magic with efficiency.

What kind of powers had been used with that thing? Nyx made her own assumptions.

“Look at it.”

“I don’t want t-t-to look at your weapon!”

“I said look at it. See, the edges?”

Nyx frowned, squinting at it. Something was odd about the staff.

“They’re not sharp. They’re not even worn. This isn’t made for murder, it’s a sign…” Eve told her, quietly.

“S-s-sign of what, impending doom your people brought onto mine?” Nyx growled in response, shuffling further away from Eve, her back almost pressed against the wall of a house they were hiding behind.

“I don’t know what makes you think that, but this is… hm. Then again, why would you know. This is why I wear it, too. This uniform was my mother’s. They fought in the war, bravely…”

“And k-killed…” the wisp tried to speak up again.

“... fought to save people. Fought to protect. To heal. Powerful wizards, they channeled their energy in the right way to heal - I can do that too, yet not as well as they could,” Eve looked at the staff with a sad smile. She took off her beret and handed it to Nyx. “The star meant hope not just for humans, but for Mogwai, too.”

“You lie.”

“I don’t, I promise you. I wear it, because I’m proud of what they did. I want to keep that legacy. And I don’t… blame those who live here now, or everywhere. Or do I need to hate all of Mogwai just because one of them took my parents away? Do I need to hate you?”

Nyx looked down at her spot. She’d been there for so long. Unaccepted by all.

“Y-you’re making t-t-this up.”

“I’m telling you, I’m not. I could tell you so much about them…”

“But would you l-l-listen?”

Eve watched the wisp. The young woman was still sitting down, although almost bent over - as if something was weighing her down, as if she was grieving. Clutching the star-decorated beret.

“That is why I travel.”

Eve sat closer to her, and Nyx couldn’t even get away. She cursed and cursed this meeting again and again as she was sitting perfectly still, rubbing her own knees, grumbling, trying to get her confidence back to tell Eve a story. They’ve exchanged their names, although, of course, reluctant from wisp’s side.

The young traveling doctor carefully listened to her new acquaintance - at the very least, that’s what she thought of Nyx, even if the wisp still hated her. She also watched her closely, noticing how often she’d use gestures while speaking.

It was a story of horrors, almost the same as the ones Eve had lived through. Although different, quite different in context.

She was a child of a promise. An offspring of two other wisps that were picked for a horrible, unthinkable tactic in the war. Test subjects, sacrifices for the success of the Mogwai’s resistance against powerful human invaders. They knew they wouldn’t make it - even if they had made it back home, they wouldn’t have been the same anymore. An egg was created and sealed with a promise to help end the war, for children like Nyx to live in a more peaceful world. On Solum as it was supposed to be - beautiful, full of life, full of love.

The poor wisp never even knew them after hatching. Brought up by Mogwai left behind in arguable safety, she was told about humans’ atrocities, so much she’d sooner forget about the sins of her own kind.

“You c-c-came here. Your people came here. T-t-they started it… It doesn’t matter why and how - in the end - my parents were taken away b-b-because of t-t-this war. You wouldn’t know.”

“But mine were, too.”

“Maybe th-they were, but I grew w-w-w-without love!”

“There was no time for me, either…”

“Yet h-h-here we are, huh?!” Nyx yelled, almost getting up from her spot. Eve held her down, pressing a finger on Ronove’s lips.

The wisp heard the alleyway puppies whimper and growl, almost waking up from their warming sleep. She felt bad. She felt sad. She felt as if the world was falling apart. She wanted to hate, but couldn’t - not as much as before - after meeting Eve. It sickened her to the very core.

But the feeling was too strong. She felt the special presence. The young woman was none other than a conjurer, and also unpacted. The way her heart resonated with Nyx’s core when near - it felt so different.

“We started it. We finished it. With the Queen’s Conjurer in place, there will be no more wars,” Eve said with great confidence and pride, yet in the end her voice faltered, suddenly revealing just how worried she was telling Nyx everything.

The wisp watched her in disbelief, but couldn’t say anything. The time was spent in silence, sometimes broken by any sound but their voices. Sometimes, they looked at each other. It was quite rare of Nyx to actually look into someone’s eyes, but Eve welcomed, and in return - really liked the eyes of the wisp.

Yet you were born to stop another one. I was then created to see it, to be at your side. And some beings were brought into this world to make us all suffer in the end, again. It was just a violent cycle.

You handed the most of the meal you’d bought for yourself that day. You told me to eat, to get strong, and I asked you why. You offered me to follow. I told you to get lost.

When you left, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy your generosity. It was all too much for me right away. I think you understood that later, even though I would never speak of it. That night, before your departure, I cried.

In my dreams I saw myself imprisoned, tied to one place, all alone, for eternity. And then I knew I had to take my chance right there and then. I had to go with you. You endured me, you listened to me, you taught me. I had never felt that way before.

Before finally going to sleep in her small room at the cheap local inn, Eve spent a while thinking about the encounter she’d had earlier that day with Nyx. It’s like it was meant to be that way. To take her mind off it and not worry too much, she conjured her sewing and knitting kit - she had started knitting a scarf not too long ago. The further she went in her travels, the more she realized how cold some places were - she’ll definitely need a couple more layers to put on herself if she’d like to keep going.

She was quite satisfied with her journey, but perhaps a friend could keep her heart warm, too?

The next day, Eve was saying goodbyes to some of the villagers she got to know during her short stay. Quite a number of them were most thankful to her - the traveller had brought items that normally wouldn’t appear that often on that local market, but also helped one of the local miners heal his wounds. They gathered around her, happy, putting her in the spotlight - but she seemed so modest, almost too nervous. Perhaps that kind of life wasn’t really for her? Or was it that she just needed help, too?

Eve didn’t know. Nyx thought she did.

As the young traveller was leaving, the wisp called out to her, out of breath. She ran across the village to get to her.

“Eve!”

She turned around and looked almost shocked. Did she really not believe in her, at all? Nyx, for a moment, almost lost hope…

“I’d l-l-like t-t-to go with you. P-p…” she bit her own tongue. No need to beg unless needed. She needs to get past that point in her life. But what if she didn’t want her around anymore…

Eve Xin extended her hand forward, to Nyx, offering her to take it. She looked inspiring, with the sun somewhere far away rising from behind patches of forests and tips of faraway mountains, reaching her with its rays.

“Come, then, we’ll travel together. I’m happy, truly happy you changed your mind…”

Ronove stood next to her, back turned to the village. She had no one to say her goodbyes to. She had endured enough of everyone’s ignorance, disinterest. With her life surely destined to fade away in this small town, Nyx was willing to gamble and follow the odd young woman. Even if she seemed a bit annoying and full of herself.

From that day, Eve would be everything to her.

“I-I’m not t-t-taking your hand, we-weirdo,” Nyx stared at Eve impatiently, eyes wide open. She looked almost insulted. “Let’s j-just get m-m-moving.”

Eve laughed and began walking, leaving that village behind. Nyx realized how fast her new friend was moving, and had to catch up. Truly, she’d need to get used to that kind of life… but at least it was life, after all, not just existence.

“I do have rules, you know… sorry, didn’t have time to tell you yesterday! So, ahem,” Eve cleared her throat, and began reciting those laws of travel, finger-counting, “number one: no one left behind! We cannot go past someone in trouble if we can help…”

Later on I realized: not only would I abide those silly rules, I would also even die for you. I’m sorry I never could.

We visited the mountains and the valleys, walked through blinding snow and fields of golden wheat, picked the most unusual flowers, seen fauna, met humans and Mogwai living in remote bits of Solum...

You were telling me things, and I was mesmerized. You’d go on about anything forever, then stop, smiling so bright, asking me to forgive you for ranting again… at first, I did. Then I realized I couldn’t get enough of it, and never stopped you.

Whenever you listened, I felt overjoyed. I finally had someone who cared about me, sincerely.

Whenever we were quiet, I could feel my core and your heart long for each other, and I hoped you felt it, too.


End file.
